The History of Gingham Fabric

Gingham fabric is a medium-weight fabric, typically made from dyed cotton or cotton-blended yarn. It is renowned for its white and bold checked patterns which appear in vertical columns and horizontal rows, with the size of the checks varying, but typically ranging between 1/8”, ¼”, and 1” sizes. UK Fabrics Online, http://ukfabricsonline.com is a popular seller of gingham fabric, selling yarn-dyed gingham in a variety of colours and check sizes.

Etymology

Gingham fabric derives its name from the word genggang; a word in Malay which is spoken in both Indonesia and Malaysia where the pattern is thought to have originated. Genggang means “striped” and gingham fabric was originally intended to be woven into stripes instead of the checked pattern that is has become known for.

History

Gingham fabric dates back to the 1600s at least, when it was first brought to Europe and later to colonies in the United States. The production of gingham fabric created a major economic boom in cities such as Manchester and in the south-eastern United States. The typical colour pattern of gingham fabric was blue and white for many years, but today it can be found in almost any colour paired with white. Originally, gingham fabric used two differently coloured fabrics to produce a striping effect, and over time developed into gingham fabrics appearing with a plaid or checked design.

Popular Culture

The most popular use of gingham fabric is the association of gingham fabric shirts and dresses worn by the mods of the 1960s. To this day, gingham fabric continues to be identified with a new generation of mods as well as fans of indie music. In fact, on many mod message boards there will be heated discussions of what the “proper size” of gingham checks should be. Several brands that are popular with mods produce gingham fabric shirts, such as Pretty Green, Ben Sherman, Fred Perry and Merc.

Gingham fabric is used for many different applications. Of course, there are the popular gingham shirts and dresses, but gingham fabric is also used to make the following:

* Tablecloths
* Curtains
* Handkerchiefs
* Barbecue aprons
* Pyjamas
* Bedspreads
* Sheets

As you can see, gingham fabric is a very versatile and popular fabric that can be found virtually anywhere.



UK Fabrics Online is a top seller of gingham fabric in the UK.  As it is so versatile there are so many things that could be created from it – it really is up to you.